Stock inlet for papermaking machines



y 11, 1954 G. GOUMENIOUK STOCK INLET FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2, 1948 W Uw m 0 w W6 A J m 6 7 y 11, 1954 G. l. GOUMENIOUK STOCK INLET FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINES Filed Feb. 2, 1948 I [I l mvsmoa 6158 GOl/MW/OUK ATTQENEY y 1, 1954 G. l. GOUMENIOUK 2,677,991

STOCK INLET FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINES Filed Feb. 2, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 |03 7'0 VACUUM T0 COM REJSDE INVENTUR mm avs Patented May 11, 1954 STOCK INLET FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINES Gleb I. Goumeniouk, Powell River, British Columbia, Canada, assignor to Powell River Company Limited, Vancouver, British Columbia,

Canada Application February 2, 1948, Serial No. 5,746

14 Claims.

This invention relates to a stock inlet particularly adapted for paper making machines.

This device is designed to supply paper stock to the Fourdrinier wire of a paper making machine, and its main purpose is to supply this stock in uniform thickness, width and consistency with a minimum of air bubbles therein.

Many advancements have been made in equipment of this nature, but they have not yet eliminated many of the problems involved, and this apparatus is a distinct improvement over anything known today.

The following are some of the fundamental characteristics of this equipment:

(a) Gradual flow delivery of the stock to the paper machine in order to. insure a uniform distribution of the accelerating force throughout the mass.

(1)) A minimum total length of flow in the delivery.

(c) Gradual variation of contours and sections.

(d) Continual convergence of the delivery flow in order to reduce cross currents.

(e) Friction of stock to stabilize and disperse flow at both the entrance and the delivery of the stock inlet.

Constant gravity head for all discharge velocities, and the control of pressure on the surface of the stock in the inlet.

g) Increased velocity in the delivery flow to decrease the static pressure on the walls of the device.

(h) Designing the flow box so that air cannot accumulate therein.

(2') Normally maintaining the air above the stock in the apparatus below atmospheric pressure to assist in the removal of air from the stock.

Dividing the inlet into three distinct areas, namely, a deceleration-rectification area, still pond area, and final acceleration area, thus permitting proper attention to the hydraulic requirements of each area, and preventing turbulence in said acceleration area.

(70) The use of controlled pressures over the surface of a still pond.

(Z) The use of special perforated rolls for uniform distribution and rectification which also provide for the separation of air from the stock.

As stated above, the stock inlet is divided into three areas, the deceleration-rectification area, still pond area, and acceleration area. The still pond separates the other areas and it is preferred to have the stock moving upwardly in the deceleration-rectification area and downwardly through the acceleration area. In the deceleration-rectification area, the stock passes upward- 13 through one or more rolls for fiow distribution and rectification. These rolls, however, are specially designed also to assist in removing air from the stock. The acceleration area gradually converges downwardly both vertically and laterally and it preferably, although not necessarily, has a plurality of spaced flow-eveners extending throughout its length. Suitable means is provided for controlling the absolute pressure of the air above the still pond in accordance with the demand for the stock, that is, in accordance with the speed of the paper making machine.

An example of stock inlet constructed according to this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the stock inlet.

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the end of the inlet facing the paper making machine.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through one form of roll used in the decelerationrectification area.

Figure 4 is a cross section through said roll.

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view, partly in section, of a flow distributor through which the stock passes to the deceleration-rectification area, and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the stock inlet and the equipment associated therewith.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Ill is a headbox and H an adjustable slice, both of which are constructed in any convenient manner. It has been found that one of the advantages of this invention lies in the fact that the headbox may be built by what is known as the stressed-skin construction, thus making this equipment considerably lighter without sacrificing strength than the known types of equipment of this nature.

The headbox is divided into a decelerationrectification area or section l5, a still pond area or chamber l6 and an acceleration area, or sec-- tion or flow box ll. The pond chamber is relatively wide and the two sections asociated therewith are the same width. The section I5 is formed with a narrow slot-like entrance 2!! at its lower end and diverges in cross section upwardly towards and communicates with the still pond chamber. The section ll extends downwardly from the still pond and converges laterally and vertically towards its lower end where it is connected to the slice ll. Figure 2 clearly shows how the section I! gradually converges laterally, while Figure 1 shows how it converges vertically or at right angles to the lateral convergence.

Paper stock is delivered by a pipe 24 and branch pipes 25 and 26 to the opposite ends of a distributor box 2'7, see Figure 5. This box narrows down to a relatively long and thin slot 28 which communicates with the entrance 26 of the area !5 of the headbox. The distributor box has a vertical bafile 26 therein which is divided into lower, intermediate and upper sections 30, 3!, and 32, respectively. The lower section 30 extends diagonally from one corner to the other of the distributor box, the upper section 32 extends into the slot 28 substantially midway between the opposite sides thereof, while the intermediate section 3| is shaped to connect the top of the lower section to the bottom of the upper section of the baffle in gradual curves.

The stock enters the opposite ends of the distributor box 2'! on opposite sides of the bafiie 29 which directs it upwardly into the lower end of the deceleration-rectiflcation section i5. Thus, the stock moves in two streams slowly across the distributor box and then they are brought to gether in the slot 28 which forms a constricted throat which gives the stock a predetermined velocity forward in the general direction of flow.

The stock entering the section I5 naturally slows down. One or more perforated rolls 35 extend across the section l5 so that the stock must flow therethrough. If two rolls are used, as shown, it may be noted that th diameter of the second one is larger than the first, this being necessary since the section diverges from its entrance. These rolls are rapidly rotated in any suitable manner, such as by an electric motor 36, see Figure 6.

Thes perforated rolls are used to distribute and rectify the flow of stock. Perforated rolls have been used for this purpose before, but these are of a special design which helps to remove air from the stock. Each roll consists of one or more concentric perforated cylindrical casings 61, two of said casings being preferred, having an unperforated core 38 extending therethrough. A plurality of spaced discs 39 extend between the core and the roll wall or the cylindrical casings 31.

The rolls 35 are designed to keep the resistance to the flow of stock longitudinally as low as possible, while increasing the resistance to the flow of stock laterally as much as possible. The discs 39 greatly reduce any lateral flow of the stock, I

and the unperforated core keeps the region of flow of the stock within the roll small enough to insure thoroughly distributed agitation and motion and to allow control of the flow through the perforated casing or casings.

The stock now moves into the pond chamber it where it is undisturbed, and the pressure of air above the paper stock in this chamber is controlled as will hereinafter appear.

The acceleration section I! is relatively wide and thin and, as previously stated, gradually converges towards its lower end. A plurality of spaced baflies or flow-eveners 42 extend longitudinally in the section l1. These bafiles or floweveners are very thin and they preferably extend outwardly from the bottom 43 of this section to a point spaced from the cover 44 thereof, see Figure 1, which is removably mounted thereon in any suitable manner. If desired, a plurality of short baffles or flow-eveners 46 may project 4 downwardly from the cover 44 at the lower end of the section I! between the bafiles 42, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

The balfies or flow-eveners 42 and 46, if the latter are used, prevent cross currents in the acceleration section, and the tops of these baflles are spaced from the cover of said section in order to insure no reduction of the velocity of the stock in the separating spaces therebetween.

Suitable means is provided for adjusting the width of the acceleration section or flow box I! at its lower end. A side member 50 is located at each side of the section ll between its bottom 43 and cover 44, said member having sealing strips 5| along its upper and lower edges, and is connected to the main portion of the stock inlet by a hinge 52 formed of suitable flexible material, such as rubber. A tail piece 54 also formed of suitable flexible material, such as rubber, is removably mounted on the lower end of the side member 50 and extends into the slice II to form the side thereof. Each tail piece may be secured in any adjusted position in some convenient manner. One way of doing this is to form the tail piece with a flange 55 projectin outwardly therefrom over which a clamp 56 fits, said clamp being movably secured in position by bolts 51 which extend through elongated slots 58 formed therein.

With this arrangement, the side members 50 may be swun toward or away from each other on their hinges 52 to adjust the width of the lower end of the acceleration section. The tail pieces move in the slice with the side members and they are flexible so that they fit the curve of said slice. These tail pieces are removable so that they may be made in different thicknesses in order to fit different adjustments of the slice. When the bolts 51 are tightened, the clamps 56 hold the tail pieces and the side members in position.

The slice I I has a discharge slot 62 at its lower end, the thickness of which may be adjusted by moving the lower edge of a flexible plate 63 which forms the top of said slice. This plate may be raised and lowered in any desired manner. For this purpose, a plurality of spaced straps 65 are secured to the lower edge of the plate 63 of the slice and these straps extend upwardly and are threaded at the upper end. These upper ends extend through adjusting screw wheels 66, each of which is carried by a support 61 riding on a cam 68 eccentrically mounted on a shaft 69 which extends transversely of th stock inlet above the slice. The shaft 69 may be rotated by a hand wheel 10 which is operatively connected thereto through a suitable worm and worm gear.

When the hand wheel 10 is turned, the size of the discharge slot 62 of the slice is increased or decreased, depending upon the direction of the rotation of the hand wheel. The across-thewidth contour of the slice plate 63 may be adjusted by turning the wheels 66 to raise or lower th straps 65, each being operated independently of the others.

The position of the stool: inlet ID in relation to the paper making machine may be adjusted in any convenient manner. For example, the stock inlet may be mounted on a base 11 which is carried by a plurality of shifting devices 18. Each device 18 consists of a base 19 extending towards the paper making machin having a carriage mounted thereon for longitudinal movement in relation thereto, said carriage being moved by means of a handwheel 8|. A wedge 83 is movably mounted on the carriage 80 and may be shifted longitudinally thereof by means of a hand wheel 84. The wedge 83 co-operates with another wedge 85 mounted on the under side of the base 11.

When the hand wheels 8| of the shifting devices I8 are turned, the stock inlet is moved towards or away from the paper making machine, while rotation of the hand wheels 84 shifts the wedges 33 to raise or lower the stock inlet.

Paper stock from a suitable source may be supplied to the pipe 24 by a centrifugal pump 88 which is driven by an electric motor 89. This stock passes through the deceleration-rectification section I 5 into the pond chamber I 6, whence it passes downwardly through the acceleration section I I, slice I I, and onto the Fourdrinier wire of a paper making machine, diagrammatically illustrated at iill. Suitable means is provided for maintaining the stock in the pond chamber at a constant level and for controlling the pressure of the air above the stock in said chamber.

A level controller 9d of any suitable design is used to maintain the stock in the pond chamber at a constant level. As this level controller is standard equipment, it need not be described in detail. The level controller may be connected to a rheostat for controlling the speed of the motor 89 to regulate a supply of stock to the apparatus. It has been found, however, desirable to provide a by-pass 95 between the pipe 24 and the supply pipe 96 of the pump 88. This by-pass has a control valve 91 therein which is operated by suitable electric control mechanism, indicated at 98. The level controller 94 is electrically connected to the mechanism 98 so that as the level controller operates, the valve 97 is moved towards open or closed position in order to regulate the amount of stock passing back through the bypass 95 to the supply pipe 96. This in turn regulates the flow of stock to the stock inlet to maintain said stock at a constant level in the pond chamber. If desired, the motor 89 may be automatically controlled by a rheostat to work in conjunction with the Icy-pass control of the stock.

The pressure of the air in the pond chamber is controlled in any convenient manner by and in accordance with the speed of the paper machine,

being connected to the drive roll of the Fourdrinier wire of the paper making machine. Both the vacuum controller and the tachometer are standard equipment and need not be described here. The controller Hit is connected by a pipe I62 to the pond chamber I6, while a pipe I03 extends from the said chamber to a vacuum pump, not shown. A control valve I M is located in the pipe IE3, and this valve is operatively connected to the controller I053. The pressure of the air in the pond chamberis usually maintained below atmospheric pressure, but there are times when the pond pressure may be above atmospheric. If it is desired to go above atmospheric pressure, a pipe IIll extends from the pond chamber to a compressor, not shown, and another control valve I08 is located in this pipe. This control valve is operatively connected to the controller Hi0.

Any change in the speed of the Fourdrinier wire is registered by the tachometer I! which causes the controller IOQ to operate to raise or lower pressure in the pond chamber I6. As the static head in the stock inlet i constant, the pressure in the pond chamber is varied to supply the stock to the paper making machine in accordance with the speed of the Fourdrinier wire. If the speed increases, the demand is greater and the pond air pressure is increased, whereas the opposite takes place if the speed decreases. It has been found that the range of pressures for the speed range of a Fourdrinier machine is approximately from '7 to 18 pounds per square inch, absolute.

With this arrangement, there is always a proper supply of the pulp stock automatically controlled to satisfy the demand of the paper making machine and the machine operators do not need to worry about it. Furthermore, as the air in the pond chamber is normally below atmospheric pressure, this helps to remove excess air from the pulp stock. Air which is loosened from the stock by the rolls 35 rises through the section I5 into the pond chamber and is extracted therefrom. Furthermore, any air which might tend to accumulate in the section I! also rises into the pond chamber, whence it is removed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a wide closed pond chamber, a deceleration section the same width as the chamber extending upwardly thereto at one side thereof, said section having a narrow slot-like entrance at its lower end and diverging in cross section upwardly towards the chamber, a wide acceleration section extending downwardly from the chamber at the side thereof opposite the deceleration section, said acceleration section having opposite sides which converge laterally and a top and bottom which converge vertically towards the lower end of the section, a slice at the lower end of the acceleration section, means for supplying stock to the entrance of the deceleration section, and means for removing air from the top of the pond chamber.

2. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber, a deceleration section extending upwardly to the chamber at one side thereof, an acceleration section extending downwardly from the chamber at its opposite side, said acceleration section having opposite sides which converge laterally and a top and bottom which converge vertically towards the lower end of the section, a plurality of spaced flow-eveners extending the length of the acceleration section and converging towards its lower end, a slice at the lower end of the acceleration section, means for supplying stock to the lower end of the deceleration section, and means for removing air from the top of the pond chamber.

3. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber, a deceleration section extending upwardly to the chamber at one side thereof, an acceleration section extending downwardly from the chamber at its opposite side, said acceleration section having opposite sides which converge laterally and a top and bottom which converge vertically towards the lower end of the section, a plurality of spaced flow-eveners extending the length of the acceloration section and converging towards its lower end, a plurality of short flow-eveners spaced between the long fiow-eveners adjacent the lower end of the acceleration section, a slice at the lower end of the acceleration section, means for supplying stock to the lower end of the deceleration section, and means for removing air from the top of the pond chamber.

4. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber, a deceleration section extending upwardly to the chamber at one side thereof, an acceleration section extending downwardly from the chamber at its opposite side, adjustable sides for the acceleration section, means hingedly connecting the upper ends of the sides to the acceleration section, the lower ends of said sides being movable towards and away from each other at the lower end of the section, means for retaining the sides in any adjusted position, a slice at the lower end of the acceleration section, and means for supplying stock to the lower end of the deceleration section.

5. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber, a deceleration section extending upwardly to the chamber at one side thereof, means for supplying stock to the lower end of the deceleration section, an acceleration section having a top and bottom extending downwardly from the chamber at its opposite side, a slice at the lower end of the acceleration section, sides for the acceleration section slidably mounted between the top and bottom thereof, said sides being hingedly mounted at the upper end of the section, a flexible tail piece at the lower end of each of said sides and extending into the slice to form sides therefor, and means for retaining the sides and tail pieces in various adjusted positions.

6. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber, a deceleration section extending upwardly to the chamber at one side thereof, an acceleration section extending downwardly from the chamber at its opposite side, a slice at the lower end of the acceleration section, means for supplying stock to the lower end of the deceleration section, a level controller connected to the chamber, means connected to the stock supplying means and operated by the controller for controlling the former to maintain a predetermined level in the pond chamber, and means operated by the paper making machine for increasing and decreasing the pressure above the stock in the pond chamber as the speed of said machine is increased and decreased, respectively.

7. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a wide closed pond chamber, a deceleration section the same Width as the chamber extending upwardly thereto at one side thereof, said section having a narrow slot-like entrance at its lower end and diverging in cross section c upwardly towards the chamber, a wide acceleration section extending downwardly from the chamber at the side thereof opposite the deceleration section, a slice at the lower end of the acceleration section, means for supplying stock to the entrance of the deceleration section, a level controller connected to the chamber, means connected to the stock supplying means and operated by the controller for controlling the former to maintain a predetermined level in the pond chamber, and means operated by the paper making machine for increasing and decreasing the pressure above the stock in the chamber as the speed of the paper making machine is increased and decreased, respectively.

8. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a wide closed pond chamber, a deceleration section the same width as th chamber extending upwardly thereto at one side thereof, said section having a narrow slot-like entrance at its lower end and diverging in cross section upwardly towards the chamber, a wide acceleration section extending downwardly from the chamber at the side thereof opposite the deceleration section, said acceleration section having opposite sides which converge laterally and a top and bottom which converge vertically towards the lower end of the section, a slice at the lower end of the acceleration section, means for supplying stock to the entrance of the deceleration section, and means operated by the paper making machine for increasing and decreasing the absolute pressure above the stock in the pond chamber as the speed of said machine is increased and decreased, respectively.

9. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber having a stock inlet and an outlet, means for supplying stock to the chamber, a level controller connected to the chamber, means connected to the stock supplying means and operated the controller for controlling the former to maintain the stock at a constant level in the chamber, a vacuum pump connected by a pipe to the pond chamber, a control valve in said pipe, a vacuum controller connected to the chamber for operating the valve, and a tachometer driven by the paper making machine for operating the vacuum controller.

10. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber having a stock inlet and an outlet, a pump outside the chamber connected to the inlet thereof to supply stock to the chamber, a level controller connected to the chamber, means at the pump for controlling the flow of stock from the latter to the chamber before said stock reaches the chamber, means operatively connecting the level controller to the fi-OW controlling means for regulating the flow of stock to maintain the stock at a constant level in the chamber, and pump means connected to the chamber for maintaining the air pressure above the stock in the chamber at a desired point below atmospheric pressure to assist in removing air from the stock in said chamber and to help keep the discharge from the chamber outlet constant.

11. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber having a stock inlet and an outlet, a pump outside the chamber connected to the inlet thereof to supply stock to the chamber, a level controller connected to the chamber, means at the pump for controlling the flow of stock from the latter to the chamber, before said stock reaches the chamber, means operatively connecting the level controller to the flow controlling means for regulating the flow of stock to maintain the stock at a constant level in the chamber, pump means connected to the chamber for maintaining the air pressure above the stock in the chamber at a desired point below atmospheric pressure to assist removing air from the stock in said chamber and to help keep the discharge from the chamber outlet constant, and means outside and connected to the chamber for selectively raising the chamber pressure above atmospheric pressure.

12. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber having a stock inlet and an outlet, a pump outside the chamber connected to the inlet thereof to supply stock to the chamber, a level controller connected to the chamber, means at the pump for controlling the flow of stock from the latter to the chamber bef re said stock reaches the chamber, means operatively connecting the level controller to the flow controlling means for regulating the flow of stock to maintain the stock at a constant level in the chamber, pump means connected to the chamber for maintaining the air pressure above the stock in said chamber below atmospheric pressure, and means connected to and operated by the paper making machine for automatically controlling the pump means to increase and decrease the air pressure above the stock as the speed of the paper making machine is increased and decreased, respectively, whereby the static head. of the stock remains constant and the pres sure above the stock varies in accordance With the machine speed.

13. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber having a stock inlet and an outlet, a pump outside the chamber connected to the inlet thereof to supply stock to the chamber, a level controller connected to the chamber, means at the pump for controlling the flow of stock from the latter to the chamber before said stock reaches the chamber, means operatively connecting the level controller to the flow controlling means for regulating the flow of stock to maintain the stock at a constant level in the chamber, pump means connected to the chamber for normally maintaining the air pressure above the stock in the chamber below atmospheric pressure, pump means connected to the chamber for selectively raising the chamber pressure above atmospheric pressure, and means connected to and operated by the paper making machine for automatically controlling both pump means to increase and decrease the pressure above the stock as the speed of the paper making machine is increased and decreased, respectively, whereby the static head of the stock remains constant and the pressure above the stock varies in accordance with the machine speed.

14. A stock inlet for paper making machines comprising a closed pond chamber having a stock inlet and an outlet, means connected to the inlet of the chamber to supply stock thereto, a level controller connected to the chamber, means outside the chamber connected to the stock supplying means and operated by the controller for controlling the former to maintain a predetermined level in the chamber, and pump means connected to the chamber for maintaining the air pressure above the stock in the chamber at a desired point to help keep the discharge from the chamber outlet constant.

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